Cylinder pin for revolvers



July 9, 1957 M. R. RADATZ 2,793,329

CYLINDER PIN FOR REVOLVERS Filed Sept. 17. 1952 PI 7-? 5a INVENTOR ab 5) @82 R 3 7 BY 6 82 52' ATTORNEY 2,798,329 Patented July 9, 1957 CYLINDER PIN FOR REVDLVERS Minnie R. Radatz, Kenosha, Wis, assignor of one-half to Albert Stadler, Bristol, Wis.

Application September 17, 1952, Serial No. 310,002

2 Claims. (Cl. 42- 59) This invention relates to a revolver and more particularly to a solid frame revolver which is adapted to be easily and quickly loaded and which isalso adapted to be quickly and easily assembled and disassembled.

It is generally the case in most revolvers that the task of loading the gun is relatively slow because it is necessary to first release the axial cylinder pin before moving out the cartridge cylinder for loading and then to make sure that the pin is correctly positioned afterwards. Furthermore, the gun must be kept constantly cleaned and oiled to keep it in good condition and :the .gun must, therefore, be capable of being quickly and easily assembled and disassembled.

It is, therefore, one object of this invention to provide a fast loading revolver which is capable of firing many more rounds in a specified time interval than other guns of the same type.

Another object of this invention is to provide a revolver which is capable of being easily and quickly assembled and disassembled.

Another object of this invention is to provide a revolver which has relatively few parts and which is provided with a nonremovable axial cylinder pin.

Other objects of this invention are to provide an improved device of the character described, that is easily and economically produced, which is sturdy in construction, and which is highly effective in operation.

With the above and related objects in view, this invention consists in the details of construction and combination of parts, as will be more fully understood from the following description when read in conjunction with the accompanying drawing in which:

Fig. 1 is a view partly in elevation and partly in section of the revolver in assembled condition.

Fig. 2 is an exploded view showing a fragmentary sectional view of the cylinder pin housing plus portions of the ejector rod.

Fig. 3 is a bottom view of the ejector rod and rod guide.

Fig. 4 is an exploded view of the cylinder pin locking means.

Fig. 5 is an elevational view of the cylinder pin and its related parts.

Fig. 6 is a view of the cylinder pin extending from its housing.

Fig. 7 is a bottom view of the cylinder pi-n housing.

Fig. 7a is an end view of the parts shown in Fig. 7.

Fig. 8 is an elevational view of a modified form of cylinder pin housing. Fig. 8a is an end view of the embodiment shown in Fig. 8.

Referring now in greater detail to the drawing wherein similar reference characters refer to similar parts, there is shown a revolver 10 having a barrel 12 and a butt 14. A cartridge cylinder 16 is provided in its ordinary position on the gun. A cylindrical housing 18 is provided on the underside of the barrel 12, this housing having a dove-tail key piece 20 which is adapted to fit into a dove-tail recess 22 in the gun barrel for the purpose of connecting the housing to :the barrel.

A hollow axial cylinder pin 24 is adapted to be biased from the housing 18 into the central bore of the cartridge cylinder 16 by a compression spring 26. The pin 24 is provided with a draw button strap 25 at one end and narrow slots 31 are formed in the pin adjacent the strap. A hole 27 is formed in the pin to receive a thumb pin 28 for moving the pin 24 axially. The pin 28 .and the slots '31 combine to hold the end of the spring 26 secured to pin 24. The other end of the spring bears against -a plug 30 within the housing. The plug 30 is provided with a recess 32, a hole 34 and a dove-tail key piece 36. A thumb pin 38 is adapted to fit through hole 34 and through an elongated slot 40 in the housing 18 while a pin 42 is adapted to extend through recess 32 and opening 44 in the housing, so that when thepin 38 is moved axially of the housing, it carries the plug along a distance limited by the ends of the slot 40. The elongated recess 32 in the plug is provided to allow the movement of the plug relative to the pin 42 which is kept in a stationary position by opening 44.

A hand-operated eject-or rod 46 has a portion 48 at one end, and this portion 48 extends through a slot 50 in the housing 18. The portion 48 is pivoted within the housing 18 as at 52 and is provided with a slot 54 to receive the tongue 36 of the plug, shown in Figs. 1 and 2 in disengaged position against the biasing of spring 26. "The rod 46 is provided with a tongue 56 at the end opposite from the pivot 52 and this tongue is adapted to be received within a slot 58 in a guide piece 60 mounted on the housing 18. When the plug 30 is moved against the bias of spring 26 by thumb pin 38, dove tail key piece or tongue 36 is disengaged from slot 54, portion 48 may be pivoted about pin 52 to extend ejector rod 46, the tongue 56 being simultaneously disengaged from groove 48.

A pin locking means is provided by tubular plunger 62 closed at its forward end and open at its rearward end having a lug 64 at one end, a spring 66 adapted to enter the plunger 62 and to bias it toward the muzzle, and a screw 68 threadably secured in plunger 62 by threads 62' for holding the spring 66 in position. A lever 70 is pivoted to the gun by means of a pin passed through hole 74. Lever 70 has a lower cam surface adapted to be engaged by a corresponding cam surface on lug 64 which is normally biased against pin 24. When pin 24 is retracted against the bias of spring 26, the cam surfaces previously described force the end of lever 70 into the path of travel of rod 24 forming an effective lock for the rod 24 in its retracted position until button 68 is pressed to release the pressure of spring 66, thus permitting the lever 70 to cam along lug 64, when rod 24 is forced thereagainst by pressure of spring 26.

When the cartridge cylinder is to be loaded, the pin 24 is drawn forward against the force of the spring 26. When it is drawn toward the muzzle sufficiently to clear the lever 70, the lever is automatically moved up to hold the pin in its retracted position. To release the cylinder pin, the plunger is pressed in. This moves the lug 64 to release the lever and the spring 26 then forces the cylinder pin into place.

In Fig. 8 is shown a modified form of cylinder pin housing which consists of two parts, a tubular member 78 which is provided with a key 80 for insertion into slot 22 of the barrel, and a slot 82 to receive the pivot portion 48 of rod 46. A main tubular housing 84 has a slot 82' in both sides to receive portion 48 of rod 46. Housing 84 is adapted to be telescoped into tubular member 78 and to be held in the same manner as in the first embodiment shown, by pins 42' and 52', and the butt end of housing 84 fitting into a counterbore in the frame not here illustrated, for rear support. In operation, when it is desired to remove the cylinder from the frame for removal of spent cartridge shells or cleaning, the thumb pin 28 is pushed forward to compress spring 26, until the pin 24 comes out of the cylinder central bore, freeing it, and lever 70 is pushed up by the lug 64 to hold rod 24 forward against spring 26 until plunger 62 is pressed to return lug 64 from its engagement with lever 70. The cylinder is then in hand, and by moving thumb pin 38 a short distance toward the butt, also against spring 26, the tongue 36 moves out of slot 54 permitting rod 46 to be swung downwardly to serve as an ejector for any remaining cartridges in the cylinder not ejected by the conventional ejector mechanism of the frame, not here illustrated. The advantage of the invention is apparent, it is of simple construction and easy assembly. The rod 46 is instantly available for use in clearing jammed shells and being attached to the frame at one end is not capable of misplacement. The use of the single spring to bias both pin 24 and plug 30 simplifies the construction and compacts the two mechanisms to the space of one. The cylinder pin 24 is not readily lost either, not being free of the frame when in cylinder removal position.

Although this invention has been described in considerable detail, such description is intended as being illustrative rather than limiting, since the invention may be variously embodied, and the scope of the invention is to be determined as claimed.

What is claimed as the invention is:

1. In a device of the character described the combination of a revolver comprising a butt, a barrel and an open ended revdlvable cartridge cylinder having a central bore forming an axis of rotation below said barrel, a tubular housing positioned below said barrel and in alignment with said bore, a cylinder pin normally extending into said bore from said housing, a spring in said housing biasing said cylinder pin into said bore, a slot in said housing, a headed pin connected to said cylinder pin extending through said slot whereby said cylinder pin may be manually retracted from said bore to permit removal of said cylinder for reloading or cleaning and a readily releasable locking means contained in said butt for retaining said cylinder pin in retracted position in said housing, said lock means being automatically actuated by retraction of said cylinder pin.

2. The device of claim 1, said locking means comprising a horizontal bore in said butt aligned with said housing and positioned forwardly of said cylinder, a slot communieating said last-mentioned bore with said housing, a lever having a lower cam surface pivoted in said slot, a slidable hollow plug having an upper cam surface in said bore, a spring in said hollow plug normally biasing said cam surfaces into engagement to force said lever into said housing to lock said cylinder pin into retracted position, and push button release means for releasing the bias of said cam surfaces by forcing said plug inwardly, whereby the bias of said spring in said housing will force said cylinder pin over said lever into extended position within said bore in said cylinder.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Zaiser Apr. 7, 1908 

